Cross country ride to honor fallen soldiers stops in Rhode Island

WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) — A cross country tour to honor fallen soldiers made a stop in Rhode Island on Sunday.

The “Tribute to Fallen Soldiers Memorial Torch Motorcycle Ride” left Eugene, Oregon on July 14.

On their way to Arlington National Cemetery, the group of about 20-25 riders makes scheduled visits to the homes of those who have died while serving our country.

Along the way, they pick up local riders and law enforcement. West Warwick police and fire assisted in coordinating a traffic detail to make Sunday’s ride from Warwick to West Warwick possible.

“We begin on the west coast in Eugene Oregon, we light the memorial flame, and it stays lit all the way across the country,” Executive Director Warren Williamson said.

Group leaders said while each visit is different and unique, their mission is the same; to let families know they are not forgotten.

This summer, the group is traveling through 17 states.

One of those stops was to the West Warwick childhood home of Sgt. Brian St. Germain, a marine killed in Iraq in 2006, at just 22-years-old.

“That is every gold star families wish, is that their loved one’s continue to be remembered,” Lynn St. Germain-Lundh said.

The group contacted the St. Germain family almost a year ago to coordinate the visit, one of 65 they will make this summer.

They were gifted with a memorial plaque and painting of Brian, all while the flame burned strong in his and so many others’ memories.

“To show that eternal light, to know that that’s not just for Brian but for all of those, in memory of all of them. It’s special. It means a lot, you know, and it shows us, I guess as Gold Star families, it shows us that the world’s remembering with us,” St. Germain-Lundh said.

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